Opened in
October 2011, they have registered 170 people in their programs, including 54
from East Phillips. The program originally was located on Lake St, and it
didn’t work for people in Phillips. Native American Clinic and American Indian
Health Board assisted with getting the program moved into the Phillips.

Membership is
free for the first six months (through the end of March). After that the fee
will be $10 per month. You must get a medical clearance before joining (not a
physical.) There is not day care available at this time. The organization is looking for a
defibrillator; they are using a “loaner” right now. Financial support was
brought up, to be discussed at the next board meeting.

7:15 Presentation
of the PLAN for the new EAST PHILLIPS PARK SOCCER and BASEBALL FIELDS. Cliff Swenson, Park Board Planning Dept.

Cliff has been
working for the park board since July and is trying to clean up a few projects.
Cliff reminded us that there is a gas line running under the soccer and
baseball fields. The park board is working to put together the funding to
create a full size soccer field with artificial turf, (which can also be used
as two “Soccer 6” fields for younger players.) With artificial turn installed,
the field can be “overscheduled” during daylight hours without being concerned
about erosion of the field/turf.

Cliff
distributed a preliminary draft of the plan that the park board is submitting
to vendors for bids. There is no field lighting provided in this plan (no funds
for this right now.) Cost would be about $300,000 to install.

Starting next
week, Hennepin County provided funds for the park board to begin testing
samples from a few areas to gauge the level of contamination of soil at the
tie-in locations for storm sewer utilities.

The Gym has
been completed, the extra hoops are installed.

The kitchen
was bid out twice, and a contractor has been selected. The fittings should be
delivered about Christmas and the kitchen will be completed very soon
thereafter

The park board
will tackle pedestrian lighting in the spring.

LL: Soccer Report

Community
based soccer is nearly ready to go. The park will provide supervised playing
times, and coaching children ages 5-15. They will focus on fundamentals,
ensuring that it is safe and fun. The park is looking for coaches, and is
beginning to screen candidates. They are looking particularly for women who can
coach. Volunteers should stop in at the park, pick up a volunteering form
(including a background check), and return the completed form to Travis at the
front desk.

LL: Design Project

Last month,
EPIC voted to provide funding for a digital design workshop class for teens at
the Waite House. They will be using the $750 provided by EPIC to purchase
design software. All youth programming at the Waite House requires family
participation.

7:50 Greenway
Heights Project- It is going to go ahead.

Carol reported
that now that EPIC’s Phase II plan has been passed – we can begin working on
the contract for Loren Brueggeman (Phoenix), and PRG to get the project moving
forward.

8:00 Status of the Phase II Plan (IT PASSED)
and the Policy Board

Motions from last month:

Support
the Exec. Director letter from Waite House and the concerns of the
ethnically diverse families of Midtown Phillips.

·Call upon NRP and the new NCR to take the grass roots effort
to be responsive to the ethnically diverse people more seriously on a
neighborhood level. Support our NRP and NCEC rep in pressing this as a grass
roots ethical issue.

Neighborhood and Community Relations Dept

Neighborhood
and Community Engagement Commission

The issue of Neighborhood
Empowerment: Will there be neighborhood people on these boards

Motion from last meeting: Create Block Clubs and request crime reports from the police.
Make a Plan to consolidate and coordinate crime reports and problem properties.
Centrally locate this information and circulate it to residents. Work with
Block clubs on the other side of Bloomington Ave. Arrange Network Meetings.

Who will help
do this??

Steve S
receives a weekly “digest” for several neighborhoods – he will provide sign up
information for weekly reports on crime in neighborhoods.

Midtown and
East Philips are considering joining together, meeting as a group, start
parceling out information, get the police involved again, pick out problem
houses and try to intervene in some of this crime. We need people to take
responsibility for their blocks, and monitor and identify hot spots. We will
start by contacting people who have been block club leaders in the past.

Pat will ask
someone in his building to take on block club leadership. Chiffon suggested
getting a list of owners of problem properties and is willing to talk with
owners. Nimco is willing to become a block club leader. Mary will reinstate
herself as a block club leader. Steve will find someone on their block willing
to become a block club leader. Hannah thinks that Rose is the block club leader
on her block. Contact Don Greeley for more information and to sign up for
training, etc.

Jana and Carol
will plan a meeting in early 2012 to start a process of communication.

Update on Safety Center and Public Safety Officers

The mayor is
cutting a number of community safety positions out of the budget. Carla is
leaving for the 2nd Precinct. We are keeping John and the Midtown
safety center. Jana suggested that instead of Carla leaving, she be given a new
job, such as “city coordinator for court watch” and that she be HQ’d at the
Midtown safety center.

Nimco pointed
out that funding the neighborhood crime specialists are going away.

MOTION: We endorse
the concept of working to form a coalition that would be conducive to obtaining
status as a weed and seed graduated site for the purpose of crime control and
seek funding through that means, for crime control. (PF, CP approved as
committee of the whole)

AGENDA NEXT MONTH:
Nimco requested that we look into how EPIC should respond to planned cuts to
funding for neighborhood crime specialists.